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Nominations for Secretary/Treasurer will close at 5pm today, January 22, 2010

Nominations for President have been reopened, see below for the announcement.

ATTENTION GEO MEMBERS:

NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT NOW REOPENED!

The President’s responsibilities will include but are not limited too:

Organizing and overseeing the election of Stewards in departments and/or work sites; chairing Steering Committee meetings and General Membership meetings and ensuring; agendas are set for both; Supervising membership drives; primary GEO representative to the Joint Council of Local 2322 and must attend Joint Council meetings; except where otherwise noted, the President shall be considered to be the official representative of GEO to the Administration and in all external relations; signs agreements between GEO and the University (with approval of the General Membership and/or Assembly of Stewards); shall serve as Liaison for the Steering Committee to the Staff and its Staff Coordinator; responsible for ensuring GEO representation at Labor Council/Leadership Coalition meetings; speaks on behalf of GEO to media, the University, etc.; acts as primary Liaison between GEO and other Unions.

Full members in good standing may nominate themselves or any other full member in good standing for any office. (Per Article 3‐ Membership of GEO bylaws: A graduate employee of the University of Massachusetts who is included in the bargaining unit is eligible for full membership during the term of employment. A full member in good standing who ceases to be included in the bargaining unit may remain a full member through the next semester plus one day, provided they retain their graduate student status. Summer session is not defined as a semester.)

A candidate for President or Vice President must be a full member in good standing, which includes current status as graduate student, as defined as in the GEO By‐laws Article 3.

For the academic year in which they serve, the three officers will each receive one full time equivalent (FTE) stipend so long as such stipends are provided by the University.

Nominations should be submitted in writing in person to the GEO office, 201 Student Union or via email to kmbaldwi@english.umass.edu no later than 5pm on Tuesday, January 26, 2010.

Organizers are one of the union’s most vital connections to its membership. Organizers build networks within existing departments and communities on campus in order to address GEO members’ ideas and concerns and understand how the union may best represent its members’ interests. The CMM Coordinator is responsible for all aspects of assisting on union organizing campaigns, including campaign start-up, committee building, assessments, developing literature and running meetings and workplace actions. Previous organizing experience is highly recommended.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Convene and co-Chair the Organizing Committee.

Craft the message communicated to GEO members in order to transform internal mobilization into turnout for events and actions.

Preparing materials and working with the Press with the political advocate.

Outreach and network with GSS, Graduate Student Organizations, SGA, and Registered Student Organizations to build connections on overlapping issues of concern such as tuition and fee increases, budget cuts, and university policies and plans that directly affect students.

Educate and train graduate student employees about the union and the organizing process.

Integrate existing members into overall GEO plans for the organization as a whole and into current GEO campaigns in particular.

Organizers should be familiar enough with the GEO contract and grievance procedures to answer general questions that may arise when speaking to members. This job requires a lot of face-to-face interaction and applications must be comfortable approaching and talking with members in both individual and group settings.

All employees are expected to devote a portion of their paid working hours to office management tasks (i.e. holding office hours, answering phones, taking messages, in-taking grievances, greeting members who come into the office, etc.) and to attend meetings as required, including regular staff meetings. Some night and weekend hours may be required.

This position is for 20 hours per week for the 2010 Spring semester. The salary is the same as the average campus-wide stipend. GEO/UAW Local 2322 will provide training. People of color and women are encouraged to apply. We will pay for university health benefits, if necessary. In the past, all GEO staff employees who have needed tuition waivers have received them, but we cannot guarantee that this will continue to be the case.

In some cases, funding for these positions will come from UAW Local 2322. In those cases, applicants must legally qualify for an internship with a non-university organization (UAW Local 2322).

Strong preference will be given to GEO members that have been active on campaigns and committees. All current graduate students are eligible to apply. Applicants should be committed to the general principles of social justice and collective action.
In order to apply, please submit:

A resume.
A cover letter stating the reasons you are interested in the position and your qualifications.
A completed GEO Staff Application Form (see second page of this document).
Be prepared to bring proof of your student status to your interview (e.g. a letter from your GPD confirming your status).

The Diversity Coordinator is responsible for working with the members of the ALANAA/International Caucus and acting as a liaison between the caucus and GEO leadership as well as the broader GEO membership. The ALANAA (African, Latina(o), Asian, Native and Arab American)/International Caucus was formed to address the needs and issues of students of color and international students within GEO and the broader campus-wide community. In addition, the caucus was formed out of recognition for the need to address issues of institutional racism within GEO and increase the participation of people of color and international students within our union.

Additional duties include, but are not limited to:

Coordinating building coalition in conjunction with the rest of staff within the Caucuses (ALANAA/Women’s Caucus/Queer Caucus/Civil Rights Committee) to ensure maximum participation from the ALANAA/International student community within GEO.

Outreach and network with the various graduate student ALANAA/International student organizations (i.e. Chinese Students’ Association, Indian Students’ Association, etc…) to coordinate activities and facilitate relationships between GEO and these organizations on issues of similar concern.

Create a more solid support system across departments, coordinating and co-facilitating regular organizing meetings, and developing an information network for ALANAA and International students.

A willingness to sit on campus committees whose work relates to ALANAA and International students.

Serve as a liaison with GSS, the Office of ALANAA Affairs, and the Office of Recruitment and Retention.

Attend and participate in the GEO organizing Committee meetings and facilitate the integration of issues concerning ALANAA and international students with other GEO campaigns.

Record and document projects and campaigns carried out during the term in order to serve as a starting point for the next ALANAA/International Student Organization Coordinator.

A willingness to run for and, if elected, serve on the UAW Local 2322 Civil Rights Committee.

Convene and Co-chair the standing GEO Committees and Caucuses as necessary.

Helping with office tasks as necessary.

Applicants with pre-existing contacts within ALANAA and International Student Organizations on campus are strongly preferred.

Every organizing position also comes with the requirement that the organizer be willing to help out in campaigns and organizing projects that are not narrowly related to their specialty, particularly at times when tasks within their organizing specialty are not at peak periods of intensity. Organizers are thus responsible for all aspects of assistance in the union’s organizing campaigns, including campaign start-up, committee building, assessments, developing literature and running meetings and workplace actions. Thus all GEO organizers should be self-motivated and have strong interpersonal skills.

All employees are expected to devote a portion of their paid working hours to office management tasks (i.e. holding office hours, answering phones, taking messages, in-taking grievances, greeting members who come into the office, etc.) and to attend meetings as required, including regular staff meetings. Some night and weekend hours may be required.

This position is for 20 hours per week for the 2010 Spring semester. The salary is the same as the average campus-wide stipend. GEO/UAW Local 2322 will provide training. People of color and women are encouraged to apply. We will pay for university health benefits, if necessary. In the past, all GEO staff employees who have needed tuition waivers have received them, but we cannot guarantee that this will continue to be the case.

In some cases, funding for these positions will come from UAW Local 2322. In those cases, applicants must legally qualify for an internship with a non-university organization (UAW Local 2322).

Strong preference will be given to GEO members that have been active on campaigns and committees. All current graduate students are eligible to apply. Applicants should be committed to the general principles of social justice and collective action.

In order to apply, please submit:

A resume.
A cover letter stating the reasons you are interested in the position and your qualifications.
A completed GEO Staff Application Form (see second page of this document).
Be prepared to bring proof of your student status to your interview (e.g. a letter from your GPD confirming your status).

The Secretary/Treasurer’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Chairing GEO Finance Committee, serving on Local Finance committee; administering GEO operating budget; planning annual budget; overseeing the functioning of the GEO office; maintaining records of organization; ensuring that minutes are taken at all GEO meetings; submitting requisitions to the Local and International as needed; facilitating GEO sponsorship of events and organizations. Shall chair meetings in the absence of the President or the Vice-President; shall assume duties of the President or the Vice President if the President and the Vice President are unavailable.

Full members in good standing may nominate themselves or any other full member in good standing for any office. (Per Article 3- Membership of GEO bylaws: A graduate employee of the University of Massachusetts who is included in the bargaining unit is eligible for full membership during the term of employment. A full member in good standing who ceases to be included in the bargaining unit may remain a full member through the next semester plus one day, provided they retain their graduate student status. Summer session is not defined as a semester.)A candidate for Secretary/Treasurer must be a full member in good standing, which includes current status as graduate student, as defined as in the GEO By-laws Article 3.

For the academic year in which they serve, the three officers will each receive one full time equivalent (FTE) stipend so long as such stipends are provided by the University.

Nominations should be submitted in writing in person to the GEO office, Student Union 201, or via email to kmbaldwi@english.umass.edu no later than 5pm Friday, January 22, 2010.*GEO-UAW 2322 is an equal-opportunity employer. Eligible members from underrepresented groups are encouraged to seek election for the Secretary/Treasurer position.